SPANISH LAVENDER HONEY

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These days, lavender is grown in many countries, such as: Tasmania, Spain, India, Arabia, Italy, England, China, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and, of course, southern France, where traditionally lavender honey is produced and highly priced. However, lavender was said originally comes from the Spanish Canary islands.

Lavender field in Montserrat

Our Lavender honey sourced directly from it’s origin country, from lavender fields in Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.  Lavender honey in Spain is also called Lavanda, Espliego and Cantueso depending on the family. Organic lavender honey is a summer honey since lavender usually flourishes in the middle of summer. Lavender is not very honey-bearing unless it is found at altitudes higher than 800m, due to the bigger amount of nectar that the plant produces in higher areas.

Spanish lavender flower

Lavender honey has a clear, very light yellow color with rich golden undertones and a viscous texture. Its appearance is reminiscent of sun rays trapped in a jar. The honey crystallizes in a matter of months. The process not only makes it solid, but also changes its color, making it turn a paler yellow-beige color. However, when a honey crystallizes, it is a good sign because it shows it hasn’t been messed with. Processing can prevent honey from crystallizing, but also takes away a lot of its beneficial properties, if not most of them.

Lavender honey has a delicately sweet and fragrant flavor and a warm taste with woody, floral notes and sometimes a citrus-earthy faint aftertaste. Its odor is only faintly reminiscent of lavender. Because of its medium sweetness and light, floral flavor, the variety is a wonderful taste experience.

(Tips : If your store-bought honey has a strong lavender smell to it, it might just be infused with lavender, not real lavender honey)

Lavender honey contains the highest level of TYROSINE from all studied honeys – This is what a Spanish study says in the Food Chemistry Journal

1) Antibacterial and antiseptic action. Studies show lavender honey boasts mild antibacterial and antiseptic effects, meaning it helps not only inhibit bacterial growth, but also destroy pathogenic bacteria, hence its effectiveness in reducing wound healing time. However, because it has been found to have a less potent antibacterial effect than manuka and other honey varieties, it’s needed in higher concentrations to obtain the same effects. What gives lavender honey its antibacterial properties is it’s content of hydrogen peroxide, acidic pH and low moisture content. Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant and antimicrobial that occurs naturally in honey as a result of the interaction between glucose and an enzyme secreted by honey bees called glucose oxidase.

2) Useful for respiratory infections. Honey in general is a great natural remedy for cough and sore throat. Its viscous texture makes it great for a throat soreness, soothing irritation and allowing the throat lining to heal. Its antibacterial action helps reduce bacterial load, contributing to improving the evolution of respiratory tract infections such as the common cold and the flu and their symptoms. It is recommended to either add honey to tea or take it as it is. Raw, unprocessed, unfiltered honey is best because it still contains all of its beneficial components (pollen, nutrients etc).

It is also recommended to avoid heating honey because heat destroys most or all of its biologically active components. So when adding it to tea, it is important to allow the tea to cool down so its heat doesn’t alter the properties of the honey.

3) Soothing properties. Lavender honey is particularly soothing on mucous membranes, forming a sort of protective layer that prevents further irritation and allows the sensitive mucous linings to heal. It has been traditionally used for conditions such as gastritis, sore throat, sensitive skin, wounds, scars and burns. Preliminary studies recognize the effectiveness of honey for healing burns (Natural Standard Herb and Supplement Guide: An Evidence-Based Reference).

4) Helps relieve tension and pain. It would appear that lavender honey can help induce calmness, relaxation and reduce nervous tension because of its mild antispasmodic effects. These effects can be likened to those of lavender oil and lavender tea, but may be less pronounced. It has been theorized that certain biologically active compounds in various parts of the lavender plant are transferred to the honey through nectar and thus give it effects similar to those of other lavender preparations.

5) Antifungal action. Lavender honey appears to be particularly efficient against Candida albicans, Candida krusei and Cryptococcus neoformans, inhibiting the growth and spread of the fungi naturally (Antifungal effect of lavender honey against Candida albicans, Candida krusei and Cryptococcus neoformans). The honey was effective at higher concentrations (16%-30%) and the compound responsible for its antifungal properties has not been identified yet.

6) Beneficial for skin health. Like all honeys, lavender too is good for the skin. It can help reduce the frequency of acne breakouts naturally, both because it exerts a local antibacterial action and because it has a soothing effect, calming irritation and redness. Moreover, light honeys like lavender are great for dull skin, giving a natural glow and radiance to skin. They also help cleanse pores, further contributing to managing acne.

7) Nutritious and energizing. Lavender honey is a particularly good source of antioxidants, aromatic compounds and nutrients. It has been found to contain antioxidants such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids and enzymes with antioxidant activity (glucose oxidase, catalase etc.) as well as nutrients such as vitamin C and dietary minerals (Antibacterial and Antioxidant Potency of Floral Honeys from Different Botanical and Geographical Origins). Moreover, lavender honey contains important amino acids and is a source of natural sugars. All of these elements contribute to its beneficial action.

I have found honey in general is a good solution for preventing hypoglycemia. Whenever I fell extremely low on energy I take on tablespoon of honey (acacia, pine nut, orange blossom, sunflower, lavander, whatever variety I may feel like at the time) and fill up on energy for another 20 minutes, giving me enough time to eat something good.

8) Source of amino acids. Research shows lavender honey has a particular amino acid profile, providing trace amounts of arginine, histidine, lysine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine and valine (Free amino acid composition and botanical origin of honey). It actually contains the highest content of the amino acid tyrosine, more than eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme and orange blossom honey. Tyrosine is needed for the synthesis of thyroid hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline and is vital for the synthesis of the skin pigment melanin and Coenzyme Q10. While lavender honey is not enough to meet the body’s demands of the amino acid (poultry, beef, eggs, cheese, nuts are the best sources), it does provide it in small amounts, which adds to its beneficial action.

This honey is thick but spreadable. A pleasure at breakfast, a delicacy to relax you and promote a perfect day.

It can be spread on bread, toast, waffles, pancakes, biscuits, croissants or crispy bread. It also makes a very unusual honey ice-cream. There are people absolutely in love with it, who buy lavender honey only for this ice-cream.

It is most suitable for beverages, desserts and baking. It is delicious over feta cheese, and pairs well with blue cheeses and semi-soft cheeses such as Camembert, Brie, or the decadent triple-crème-styles like Pierre Robert or Brillat-Savarin.

There is no way we can make your taste buds understand lavender honey. There is only one way for this: try it and feel it yourself.

FDA Registration No. : 10887810022
FDA Product Code : 36 C C T 04
Manufacture Certification : SALSA

*** NOT SUITABLE FOR INFANTS UNDER 12 MONTHS
*** If you are already allergic to flower pollen, honey bee enzymes, and other bee products consumption should be avoided because it will trigger a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

As standard, all our honeys are supplied with Certificates of Analysis testing done by international laboratories as illustrated in the European Honey CODEX :

• HMF & Diatase
  To ensure the honey has not been heat treated and is not old/adulterated honey (refer to Honey Codex).

• Sugars (Fructose/Glucose/Sucrose)
  To ensure the honey has not been adulterated by the addition of sugar syrup and the bees have foraged on flower nectar to make the honey and not fed on sugar syrup during the honey production period (refer to Honey Codex).

• Pollen Analysis and Geographical Origin
  To ensure authenticity of the botanical and geographical origin. Note, with respect to Orange Blossom Honey, the flower naturally produces very low pollen counts and therefore the concentration of Methyl Anthranilate is also analysed as an indicator of the quality and authenticity of the Orange Blossom honey.
• Antibiotic and Veterinary Residues
  To ensure products comply with those maximum residue limits for honey established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

• Moisture Content
  To ensure the honey has ripened properly and not diluted with water (refer to Honey Codex).

***Due to space limitation, we only published Pollen Analysis Report here. If you interested to get access on full report, please send us an email. We’ll gladly help you.

Our Honey Sommelier has traveled the globe to bring you the finest, raw monofloral honeys from around the world, each selected for their unique aroma, palate and finish. All traditionally gathered and never heated over the normal temperature of the hive.

Produce of : Montserrat, Barcelona
Pack & bottle : Hand pack & bottle in Perthshire, Scotland